Quebec's inquiry into construction corruption will have its official launch with an opening statement in May.
It's unclear, however, whether the inquiry will begin hearing witnesses before fall.
Quebec Superior Court Justice France Charbonneau, who will head the commission, says no decision has been made yet about when hearings will begin.
She is issuing an appeal to the public, asking anyone who knows of corruption and price-fixing to come forward with evidence.
She is promising their identity will remain confidential.
In a videotaped statement released today, Charbonneau says the commission will hold hearings in different parts of Quebec in an effort to uncover malfeasance in different areas.
The Liberal cabinet was out to scrum on the subject.
"We think it's that it's a good thing to have the Charbonneau commission and what will happen, will happen," said Public Security Minister Robert Dutil.
"So far, we are collaborating with the commission and I think that she will be able to make the difference between what are allegations and what is evidence," said Transport Minister Pierre Moreau.
The opposition gave the impression that they were happy to see the commission slowly start to rev up..
"It's very urgent that we ask the right people in the construction industry the right questions," said CAQ leader Francois Legault.
One PQ MNA said that Charbonneau got the proceedings off on the right, but cautious tone.
"She was very cautious and I think it's important. Mme. Charbonneau is a judge so I think the method is appropriate in the circumstances," said Bertrand St. Arnaud, Public Security Critic.
Premier Jean Charest called the inquiry under tremendous public pressure.
The premier spent two years resisting calls for such a probe despite mounting evidence of criminal collusion involving organized crime groups like the Mafia.
The end result was reportedly an increase in the cost of public-works contracts in Quebec.
Pomerleau trumpets Bill 33
Meanwhile in Montreal Tuesday, Pierre Pomerleau told the Montreal Chamber of Commerce that the suspicions of corruption were probably exagerrated.
Pomerleau, whose construction company employs 2,000 workers and racks up about $1 billion in annual revenues in Quebec, suggested that part of the problem is that the province obsesses over cost.
Elsewhere in Canada, he noted, quality is considered the most important factor.
"We want so much for it to be clean, well-organized, well-structured and there is a little less emphasis on quality," he said.
Pomerleau said that elsewhere qualitative criteria are valued as much as budgetary restrictions. "Set up systems to assess the quality of applicants, it is done very well all over the world," he said.
Nonetheless he vaunted that, "the quality of construction here is unequaled in the world."
Pomerleau praised Bill 33, which will lessen union control on construction sites, pointing out that the law could lower costs and even have a bigger impact than the Charbonneau Commission.
"The impact of Bill 33 will be, from my point of view, much larger than the impact of weeding out three or four fraudulent companies," he said.
Pomerleau predicted that the commission would show that the construction industry is no worse than others.
"We will realize that this is an industry like any other, where a vast majority of companies are ethical and some companies may be less ethical," he said.
With a file from The Canadian Press
